Lacy Clay nabs Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon's nod

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has endorsed Rep. Lacy Clay over Rep. Russ Carnahan in their upcoming member vs. member clash, providing a major boost to the longtime Democratic congressman ahead of the state’s August 7 primary.

Nixon’s decision to insert himself in the contest is an unusual move for a statewide elected official. In most cases, governors have stayed away from endorsing in races between sitting members of the same party.

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Clay and Carnahan were forced to compete for the same St. Louis-based congressional seat after Republicans merged their districts in redistricting. Missouri is losing one seat in the current round of redistricting, shrinking its delegation from nine seats to eight.

“For over 25 years, Lacy Clay has been a powerful voice for working families and a tireless advocate for the people of St. Louis,” Nixon said in a statement. “And throughout his long career in public service, I’ve considered Lacy a close personal friend. He’s the right man to continue serving the people of the 1st Congressional District and I fully support his re-election.”

Having represented more of the newly drawn 1st District seat than Carnahan, Clay is widely viewed as the prohibitive favorite in the race. But that didn’t stop Carnahan from taking on his fellow Missouri delegation Democrat.

Both lawmakers are well-known figures in the state and come from established political families. Clay’s father, Bill Clay, served in Congress for more than three decades. Carnahan is the son of the late former Gov. Mel Carnahan and former Sen. Jean Carnahan.

The Carnahan and Nixon forces have clashed previously. In 2008, Russ Carnahan’s sister, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, openly considered running against Nixon in the Democratic primary for governor.

CORRECTION: Robin Carnahan's title was misstated in an earlier version of this story.